1. Field of the invention
The resent invention relates to a camera with a date recording device for recording date and time on a film, and, more particularly, to a date recordable camera which is capable of operating in at least two modes.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, various types of photographic cameras which have functions for recording date and/or time on a film are known. Such a date recordable camera typically incorporates therein a date recording device having a clock circuit, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device for displaying figures representative of date and/or time, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device serving as a pattern exposure mask for exposing a figure pattern of date and time to a film, and an illumination lamp. A transparent pattern display panel of the pattern exposure liquid crystal (LCD) device is disposed in contact with a surface of the film and illuminated from the back by the illumination lamp. While the LCD device displays thereon a series of figures representative of a date and/or a time counted by the clock circuit, the pattern exposure LCD device forms a transparent pattern of the series of figures through which light from the illumination lamp passes to expose the film, recording an image of the figure pattern on the film.
Date and time counted by the clock circuit and displayed on the LCD device is adjustable through a plurality of externally operated date switches including a display mode selection switch, a digit position selection switch, an adjusting switch and the like. In many instances, the display mode selection switch gives a selection among a date mode in which "year," "month" and "day" are displayed on the LCD device, a time mode in which "hour" "minute" and "second" are displayed on the LCD device, and the like. The term "digit position" used herein shall refer to one of positions of figures representative of "year," "month," "day," "hour," "minute" and "second".
Ordinarily, the camera has various other switches such as a flash exposure selection switch, an automatic focusing selection switch, a self-exposure selection switch and the like. As described above, the prior art cameras equipped with date recording devices have a number of switches which leads to an increased number of breakdowns and might be an obstacle to making such a camera lighter and smaller.
According to another aspect of the prior camera equipped with a date recording device, since the clock circuit includes a time memory which is in many instances comprised of a volatile random access memory (RAM), when power supply to the clock circuit is interrupted during battery replacement of batteries, the time memory loses its contents. In such a case, the date must be reset after the replacement of batteries. However, since the camera is automatically placed into an inoperative mode upon removal of batteries from the camera and removes the display of date on the LCD device, it is difficult to perceive whether or not date has been reset after the replacement of batteries.